The story is told by different POV's and time jumps. Rich in detail, the reader learns about it by peeling of layer after layer. It's cleverly handled and an enjoyable read.
3.5/5, rounded up.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy!

I received this book for review from Netgalley. A mother accused of killing her two infant daughters at different times. Were they murdered or did they die from natural causes? This book has you thinking one thing and then twists around to you believing something different. I was hooked trying to figure it all out. It brought some powerful emotions out in me.
I give it 5 stars, but have to say, I was a little shocked at the very end and kinda upset with it. But all in all a good read that keep my attention.

The Guilty Mother by author Diane Jeffrey is an intense thriller that will not disappoint! Absolutely loved this book!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great thriller! Very suspenseful. Twists and turns around every corner right up until the last page.
Melissa is on her second marriage. Her first marriage ended because her husband cared about his job more than her, or so it seemed to Melissa. Together they have a son, Callum. Melissa leaves her first husband for a man, Michael. She finds herself unexpectedly pregnant with twin girls. Once the twins are born, Melissa feels overwhelmed, not at all connecting with the girls, and finding the struggle of caring for two at a time too much. She hires a nanny to help and tries to fight the depression she is feeling.
One evening, when going to see the girls, she discovers that one of the twins, Amber, is dead in her crib, presumably from Crib Death. Then soon after the second twin, Ellie, is found dead, and this time Melissa is arrested and found guilty of murder, sent to jail to serve a life sentence.
Her first husband spends years trying to free her, claiming her innocence. He seeks the help of reporters, Jon and Kelly. They are unsure if Melissa is innocent or guilty and embark on a mission to uncover the truth.
What they discover shocks them, and the readers as well!!! Nothing is ever as it appears on the surface.
Exciting book for fans of thrillers!! Highly recommend.

This was an absolutely amazing book.

I have never read anything by this author before, but I will be going out to the shops and getting her other books.

I was drawn from the first line.

I desperately wanted to know what had happened to Amber and Ellie. The way the court procedure was described and the prison life, i was just hooked.

I was so shocked throughout the book and found this such a compelling read.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. It was great!!

The Guilty Mother was so much more then what the title reveals. This story begins with Melissa, a new mom of twins, and details the difficulty she’s having managing life with new babies. Melissa is the mom of Callum, her older son from a previous marriage, and left her job as a police superintendent to stay home with her 3 month old babies, Amber and Ellie. Struggling to manage with life and post-Parton depression, Melissa is encouraged by her friend Jenny to take some time for herself and hire a nanny. Her new husband, reluctantly agrees and things begin to improve for Melissa until the night of the family dinner party when Melissa discovers one of her twins has stopped breathing. With her family and friends rallied around her, Melissa to begins to rebuild her life after it’s determined that Amber died as a result of SIDS. Melissa is now forced to pick up the pieces and care for Ellie, only to find the remaining twin unresponsive in her crib weeks later. Suspecting foul play is involved, the police arrest Melissa and she’s later found guilty for the death of Baby Ellie. Fast forward to the present, where Jonathan, a journalist for the local paper in Bristol, England is asked to cover Melissa’s story. Jonathan is reluctant and carry’s his own deep secrets about his wife and child, which is later revealed. Moving quickly between both Melissa, Jonathan, and co-Journalist Kelly’s point of view, this story is completely gripping. The writer does an amazing job of untangling the web and assembling the pieces that bind each of these characters together. Just when you think you know the truth, you’re shocked to find out what really happened the night of the dinner party. If you love crime dramas and want a true page turn, you check out The Guilty Mother.

This is a standout thriller that doesn’t follow all the others out there. It’s so well written and leaves your guessing constantly! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Clever but I saw all the twists coming, all of them. No one is really sympathetic but no one is truly despicable (besides the obviously nasty dad). Just meh all around

I flew through this book in less than 24 hours! I love a good mystery with twists and surprises and this book delivered! I was shocked by a twist in the story more than once. I love that the chapters are each from different perspectives and that each characters backstory was fully flushed out without being confusing. The ending was surprising, but not in the way I thought it would be. I will definitely be picking up other books by this author!

Very well done! Melissa loses one of her twins apparently to SIDS - is that her fault? Then the second twin dies and the cause is not as clear - is this one her fault?

The author has done a spectacular job of developing her characters and showing the light and dark of each of them. Once you start this one you'll be hard pressed to put it down. The real question here is Do You Believe Her?

I wish I could say that I really enjoyed this book, but I didn't. From the reviews listed already here, I thought I was going to be gripped or left "on the edge of my seat", but I wasn't. While, I understand the concept of this book... It just did not appeal to me as I was reading it. Melissa apparently was suffering from post partum depression, why didn't anyone reach out to her to get her some help after the birth of her twins? Her second husband, Michael, was a waste of air. If he had of given her just the tiniest bit of support with the twins, neither one of them would've died. I just couldn't get into this story. It bothered me tremendously and I'm left disappointed and wanting more from it. 3/5 stars from me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review for an honest opinion.

What a good story! Gripped me from the first page, really well written and I loved it! Better than other thrillers I’ve read recently.

Melissa lost one baby, not her fault
I believed her
Melissa lost another baby, again not her fault
I didnt believe her

And this sets the tone for this has she?/hasn’t she?, could she?, couldn’t she? book as your emotions, thoughts and ‘reckoning’ go left, right, back, forth and up and down
An extremely clever ‘keeps you on your toes’ psychological thriller where nothing is ‘cut and dried’ and even less is as you think you believe!
Melissa is either the biggest psychopathic child killer ever or the victim of something much more sinister
And now its her appeal, will the people who count believe her?, or will they be as baffled as we, the readers, are
The phrase ‘on the edge of your seat’ was made for this book, once started you wont want to finish until you know the outcome!
Tense and unpredictable, it is a story
full to the brim of drama, great characters, clever plot and sub and sub sub plots as this author does so well....I will leave her fate in your hands....but remember her life and future depends on her appeal......
10/10 5 Stars

This book stole my entire afternoon, I was gripped, i could not put it down! It is brilliantly written, and the many twists and turns were shocking! Definitely worth reading.

Oh, this was a good one. A thoroughly gripping book that I dashed through in more or less a single sitting.

It's told from three main perspectives: Melissa, the mother convicted of killing one of her baby twins; and Jon and Kelly, reporters at the local newspaper. All three have had to deal with tragedy and loss in their lives, and the similarities and differences in their respective experiences are skilfully drawn out. I found all three of them very sympathetic characters and enjoyable to spend time with.

The plot itself is very strong, with bits and pieces of information being revealed at a steady rate that kept me turning pages. I thought I had an inkling of what was going on, but as the various twists and turns unfolded, I was pleased to find myself right and wrong in equal measure – and I didn't see the final twist coming at all.

A cracking read and I will definitely look out for more books by Diane Jeffrey.

Melissa Slade has been in gaol since 2013 and now she is awaiting the decision about whether or not a second appeal will be granted. New evidence has mysteriously turned up and it seems very likely that she will at last be successful. She had been prosecuted in the Slade Babies case and had been found guilty of murder.
Jonathan Hunt is the journalist given the task of finding out the truth of the case for his newspaper, having also reported about the cot death of Melissa’s first twin Amber. When the second twin Ellie also died weeks later the suspicion had fallen onto her mother. The trial verdict saw a life prison sentence handed down. Presently Jon is mentoring a keen young colleague called Kelly, who joins him in the run up to the appeal and so the investigation begins. Jon and Kelly work well together and their enquiries and interviews are soon garnering results. The investigation breaks down into two possibilities. Is Melissa guilty of murder, or has there been a grave miscarriage of justice?
‘The Guilty Mother’ is Diane Jeffrey’s third compelling novel and I have had the privilege of reviewing them all. I didn’t think she could get any better but I was definitely wrong. Diane is a wonderfully accomplished story teller and her characters are full of intrigue and interest. I was hooked from the very first page and literally wanted to continue reading without a break. I hated having to put it down. It was full of blind alleyways, spills and thrills, tension and menace. It was a richly imaginative story. By the time it ended I was fraught with expectancy and I was even more impressed with ‘The Guilty Mother’ than either of the others. It was so thought provoking that I am still in awe of it a few days later. Whatever will she envisage next? I’m very excited by her talent and fluency. The novel had a complicated storyline and she managed it expertly. It was full of excitement and the action was swift and incisive. I can’t wait to read her next novel. Thank you for my review copy. It’s a very well deserved 4.5* review from me.